JustDrive DAM radio converter

[Bert Coules]

Does anyone have any experience with the JustDrive DAB radio unit? This is
an add-on which installs digital radio in a car with a conventional AM/FM
system. It uses a windscreen-mounted aerial and a small receiver which (I
think - the site is a touch vague as to details) transmits the DAB signal
wirelessly to your FM set. Control is by a hand-held remote, which sounds
distinctly iffy to me, but they advertise (but don't illustrate) a steering
wheel mounted control as an alternative.

I can't find a single user review on the web, which might in itself be
telling me something. The possible weaknesses would seem to be the aerial
and the FM link, which must surely be prone to interference. But I'd be
interested to hear from anyone who has one of these or has seen and heard
one in use. Many thanks.

[Bert Coules]

DAM? Damn! I meant DAB, of course. Sorry about that.

[Kevin D. Marsh]

"Bert Coules" wrote in message news:***@brightview.co.uk...

Does anyone have any experience with the JustDrive DAB radio unit? This is
an add-on which installs digital radio in a car with a conventional AM/FM
system. It uses a windscreen-mounted aerial and a small receiver which (I
think - the site is a touch vague as to details) transmits the DAB signal
wirelessly to your FM set. Control is by a hand-held remote, which sounds
distinctly iffy to me, but they advertise (but don't illustrate) a steering
wheel mounted control as an alternative.

I can't find a single user review on the web, which might in itself be
telling me something. The possible weaknesses would seem to be the aerial
and the FM link, which must surely be prone to interference. But I'd be
interested to hear from anyone who has one of these or has seen and heard
one in use. Many thanks.



I used a similar device a few years back to interface an iPod to the FM in a
work vehicle. Here in Florida the FM band is pretty crowded and finding a
clear frequency was a challenge. Lots of potential for interference. But it
was all I had until my newer work vehicle came with an auxiliary input on
the stereo.

[Bert Coules]

Post by Kevin D. Marsh
I used a similar device a few years back to interface an iPod to the FM in
a work vehicle. Here in Florida the FM band is pretty crowded and finding
a clear frequency was a challenge. Lots of potential for interference.

Yes, I suspect that's going to be an issue here in the UK, too: I've heard
that the FM band is particularly crowded at weekends, when a lot of small
unauthorised stations hit the airwaves. I've also read mixed reports about
the effectiveness of window-mounted antennae.

I'm wondering if I can simply swap the existing double-DIN unit in the car
(a Nissan Note Tekna) for a new DAB set and use the existing FM aerial and
wiring. The Note's aerial is more vertical than some, though not perfectly
so, which might help. Or does DAB require an entirely different type of
aerial? I must check.

Thanks for your reply.

[Peter Hill]

Post by Bert Coules

Post by Kevin D. Marsh
I used a similar device a few years back to interface an iPod to the
FM in a work vehicle. Here in Florida the FM band is pretty crowded
and finding a clear frequency was a challenge. Lots of potential for
interference.

Yes, I suspect that's going to be an issue here in the UK, too: I've
heard that the FM band is particularly crowded at weekends, when a lot
of small unauthorised stations hit the airwaves. I've also read mixed
reports about the effectiveness of window-mounted antennae.
I'm wondering if I can simply swap the existing double-DIN unit in the
car (a Nissan Note Tekna) for a new DAB set and use the existing FM
aerial and wiring. The Note's aerial is more vertical than some, though
not perfectly so, which might help. Or does DAB require an entirely
different type of aerial? I must check.
Thanks for your reply.

Did Nissan stop fitting diversity antenna and radios? Nissan radios had
2 aerial connections and would switch to whichever was giving best
signal. Doesn't matter how much you paid for an after market system, all
you could do was buy an adaptor that connected both aerials together.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/nissan-antenna-adapter

Looking at those dates it may have been dropped in 2010. Ha Ha just when
DAB was getting going and you were going to have a use for the dipole
antenna.

My 1993 RS13U (U=Euro) 200SX 1.8 turbo has a 2nd dipole "diversity"
antenna in the rear screen, looks like 3 rear screen elements at the
very top that don't demist (can't be seen though mirror). Looks like I
won't need to stick one of the DAB aerials on the rear screen as it's
already fitted.
http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/AFAR-P_internal_glass_mount_DAB_car_aerial_.html

Thing with DAB is that if it has no signal then all DAB stations that
share that frequency have no signal. And is very likely that all the DAB
signals come from the mast so there is no DAB signal at all. So you
can't just change station or band like you can with normal radio.

Just shove a SD card or USB stick in the DIN slot of a £35 Tevion from
Aldi and have done with it. If you have double DIN get an oddment box
that filled the 2nd slot, from a 200SX 89-94.

[Bert Coules]

Peter, thanks for the reply. I've never heard the term "diversity aerial".

Post by Peter Hill
Just shove a SD card or USB stick in the
DIN slot of a £35 Tevion from Aldi and have done with it.

I don't quite see what you're getting at. Are you advocating listening to
recordings rather than live broadcasts?

[Peter Hill]

On 23/02/2014 15:33, Bert Coules wrote:> Peter, thanks for the reply.
I've never heard the term "diversity aerial".

Post by Bert Coules

Post by Peter Hill
Just shove a SD card or USB stick in the
DIN slot of a £35 Tevion from Aldi and have done with it.

I don't quite see what you're getting at. Are you advocating listening
to recordings rather than live broadcasts?

Yes.
100% music of your choice.
No adverts.
No blah blah blah.
Radio pays a small licence fee as they only have about 12 plays/hour.
36min music, 24min blah blah.

OK so that doesn't work for BBC Radio 4. Where you learn interesting
things like just about every "late" period is probably an early term
miscarriage. Which sort of makes the 2nd plot line of Grease a tragedy.

Nor for Drama on BBC Radio 3.